Key West Catch of the Week - June 30, 2014
Key West deep sea fishing is producing remarkable results this month. There is great fishing in the Florida Keys year round, but this month’s prevailing southeast winds have created ideal conditions for deep sea fishing. Key West’s fishing seasons are also a factor in the abundance of certain species of fish. Specific types of fish move through the area or feed better at certain times. There are many species of fish in the waters surrounding Key West, and the deeper the water, the more exotic the species you’ll find. This month, deep sea fishermen are seeing plenty of red snapper, yellowtails, and amberjack.
The red snapper has a reddish colored body, red eyes, pointed anal fin and short, sharp teeth. Their average size ranges from 1 to 2 feet, and they typically weigh less than 10 pounds. However, they can grow to be as long as 40 inches and weigh as much as 50 pounds. Red snapper tend to stay near the bottom and frequently inhabit rocky areas, ridges and artificial and coral reefs. They can be found at depths from 33 to 620 feet. Red snapper are popular game fish and highly sought after commercially. These fish are also a delicious food source. Catching them is easiest using bait such squid, minnows, croaker, herring or pinfish. They often nibble at the bait which can make hooking them a challenge. You’ll need a minimum 50 pound line, and federal regulations require that only non-stainless steel circle hooks be used when fishing for red snapper. J-hooks can be used with artificial bait.
The bluish tint and bright yellow stripe and spots make the yellowtail easily recognizable. The dorsal fin is also yellow, and it has sharp, pointed teeth. It typically grows to be around thirty inches long and weighs about 5 pounds. They are most often found in large schools and predominantly inhabit coral reef structures at depths ranging from 30 to 230 feet. Shrimp, crabs and small fish make excellent bait. Chumming can help bring them to the surface. Hooks should be small since yellowtails are skittish of larger ones. Federal regulations stipulate that yellowtails must be at least 12 inches long to keep. Bag limits are also in effect in Key West. Yellowtails are prevalent year round and make a favorite dish at many restaurants in Key West.
Amberjacks are another plentiful group of fish that can be found year round in Key West. They are easily identified by the dark stripes that run from their nose to their dorsal fin. They swim in schools and are often found at depths between 300 and 750 feet. Amberjacks prefer to live among natural and artificial reefs. The average Amberjack weights about 40 pounds but may often grow as large as 100 pounds. Amberjack are not overly finicky when it comes to bait. Common types include pinfish, pigfish, grunts and sand perch. They are one of the strongest fish in the Atlantic and will put up quite a fight. For this reason, they are often sought after for trophy fish.
July has seen a bit of brisk weather with winds from 15 to 20 mph. Rough water can mean favorable conditions for catching fine trophy fish in Key West. The upcoming weeks should prove even more favorable for Key West deep sea fishing. The approaching full moon, low pressure system moving over the southwest part of the Gulf of Mexico and waters being stirred by high winds all point to favorable deep sea fishing over the next few weeks.